New Big 12 TV deal could earn each school $20 million yearly

The Big 12 announced its new television deal with ESPN and FOX Sports Media Group on Friday, giving the league “stability, and also the appearance of stability,” said Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “This helps to substantiate the public perception.”

The Big 12 announced its new television deal with ESPN and FOX Sports Media Group on Friday, giving the league “stability, and also the appearance of stability,” said Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “This helps to substantiate the public perception.”

The deal is for 13 years, and previous reports have the contract worth $2.6 billion.

Schools stand to earn some $20 million annually in conference-generated revenue.

The agreement also includes a 13-year grant of rights, which further secures the conference’s future.

With four teams leaving the conference over the past two years, questions about the league’s future persisted.

But the conference added West Virginia and TCU, bringing membership to 10, and now looks forward to a contract that begins with this school year and goes through 2024-25. The deal with ESPN replaces a previous contract that was set to run through 2015-16.

Bowlsby said the new contract will increase the number of national football telecasts to a minimum of 25 per season on a combination of ABC, FOX, ESPN and FX. It also will give FOX over-the-air access to six Big 12 games annually and ESPN cable access to its platform of networks.

“The exposure will be extraordinary,” Bowlsby said.

Beginning this season, every Big 12 home football game will be carried on a combination of ESPN, FOX or university platforms.